Follow the OMM Coalition on Social Media 

The Ohio Medicaid Matters Coalition is now officially on social media and their digital ads will be starting soon. In an effort to expand OMM's social media presence, we ask that you follow us on X and Instagram AND share these social media address. 

Here are the handles for X and IG:

X: @OMMCoalition

IG: @OhioMedicaidMatters

Learn about the Ohio Medicaid Matters Coalition:

The Ohio Medicaid Matters Coalition is committed to promoting Medicaid as a foundation of health and economic stability, recognizing that access to healthcare empowers Ohioans to work, contribute and drive economic growth. 

What's Happening:

• As currently proposed, "shall" trigger language in the 2026-27 Ohio budget would immediately discontinue medical assistance for Ohio’s Medicaid expansion group if federal funding dips below 90%.

Why it Matters:

• 770,000+ Ohioans would immediately lose coverage — 94% of whom are employed, in school, taking care of family, in a treatment program or dealing with physical or mental health illness.

What We're Asking: 

• We want as many Ohioans as possible to have the healthcare they need to work and thrive. That's why we're asking lawmakers to enable flexibility and change the trigger language in the budget bill from "shall" to "may."

Quick Emergency Response to Youth in Crisis to Expand Statewide

A program designed to substitute mental health professionals and social workers for police in swift responses to youth crises in schools, homes, and elsewhere is about to go statewide.

The program is designed to have a response team on site within an hour of a call, trained to calm the situation, and then establish a plan for up to six weeks of follow-up counseling and care at home.

The program is expected to expand from 55 counties to all 88, filling gaps currently scattered across the state. Mr. DeWine noted that when he took office in 2019, just 13 counties were served by the program.

Governor DeWine Announces Plan for Statewide Expansion of Youth Mobile Behavioral Health Service

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine held a press conference at Hopewell Elementary School in Dublin today to lay out plans for the statewide expansion of Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS).

MRSS is a service that provides immediate help for children and young adults 20 and under who are experiencing overwhelming mental, emotional, or behavioral distress. With MRSS, when a crisis like this occurs, a team of trained professionals responds within 60 minutes directly to the young person’s home, school, or any other location to de-escalate the crisis and provide ongoing support – all at no cost to the young person or their family.

“MRSS is one of the most important tools we have at our disposal to respond quickly and effectively when a child is experiencing a crisis,” said Governor DeWine. “Last year, I announced that we wanted to take this service statewide. Now, that goal is becoming a reality. It’s another example of how we’re protecting the mental health of our young people so they can reach their full potential.”

• Click here to watch the full press conference (via The Ohio Channel)
• Media Download: Governor DeWine Soundbites

Previously only available in certain areas of the state, the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) and the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) have teamed up with a network of regional partners that will allow MRSS to cover the whole state for the first time.

During Monday’s event, Governor DeWine announced that 12 different organizations have been selected to provide MRSS services across the state. These organizations will cover 18 regions, enabling response teams to get to any location in the state in less than 60 minutes after receiving a call though Ohio’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline.

• Click here to view the MRSS Regional Map

MRSS also offers up to six weeks of stabilization care, including in-home services, and connects families with peer support, skill-building opportunities, and prevention resources.

“By offering both initial response and follow-up services, MRSS helps to keep young people at home and prevents unnecessary visits to emergency departments and strain on other local resources,” said OhioMHAS Director LeeAnne Cornyn. “We know this program works. It ensures kids and families receive the type of help they need when they need it, and it’s comforting for parents to know that they don’t have to figure out how to navigate these situations alone. Help is just a phone call away.”

The Hopewell Elementary community has seen the protective power of MRSS firsthand. Earlier this year, a student was experiencing a significant behavioral health crisis at school. In collaboration with the student’s family, Hopewell staff got in touch with the local MRSS provider in Franklin County, which immediately sent a team to the school.

“Clinicians from Nationwide Children’s Hospital arrived within the hour and partnered seamlessly with our student, their family, and our school team to develop a very clear plan for services, counseling and, most importantly, ongoing care,” said Hopewell Elementary School Principal Susann Wittig. “Today, I’m happy to share that our student is thriving. They are learning, growing, and fully engaged in the classroom each day. Their family has also reported they’ve seen tremendous growth, not only at home, but in the community as well. This student is a powerful example of how timely and effective mental health supports can positively change a child’s life.”

“Governor DeWine, thank you for your unwavering commitment to Ohio’s children,” Principal Wittig added. “Your leadership and expansion of programs like MRSS ensure that students all across the state have immediate access to high quality mental health supports.”

Governor DeWine was also joined for the press conference by Regan Heynoski and Keya Pandya, two students from Dublin Jerome High School and co-leaders of Teen Institute – the district’s peer-led prevention program that focuses on things like mental health, suicide prevention, and substance use prevention.

“Having an option like MRSS – one that feels approachable and meets students where they are – will make such a difference,” said Heynoski. “It will help normalize getting help and removes the fear that too often keeps students from reaching out.”

“MRSS makes it easier to step in early – before a situation becomes critical,” said Pandya. “As students leading prevention efforts in our schools, we know that the right support at the right time can change everything, and we're excited to see more students across Ohio get the help that they need to thrive.”

OhioMHAS and ODM have worked together to create a first-of-its-kind administrative model that ensures those who use this resource get help, regardless of their ability to pay. MRSS will become a service available under the OhioRISE program.

“When a young person is in crisis, there is no time to waste in getting them the specialized help they need,” said ODM Director Maureen Corcoran. “This program and its expansion will put that emergency help within reach for kids, parents, teachers, and communities all across Ohio.”

Each Regional MRSS Provider (RMP) is responsible for all aspects of MRSS support in their area, including initial dispatch, de-escalation, stabilization, data monitoring, and quality care assurance.

MRSS will be available in all 88 counties in the coming months. Within 60 days, each of the selected RMPs must be certified to provide MRSS in accordance with specifications in OhioMHAS rule 5122-29-14 and the MRSS Practice Standards, including any subsequent versions, among other requirements.

OhioMHAS and ODM will also coordinate with the Ohio Department Children and Youth to achieve statewide expansion of MRSS.

Ohio Medicaid Got Rid of Big Middlemen. Says it Paid Pharmacies a lot More — and Saved $140M

Pharmacy middlemen working in Ohio on behalf of huge health conglomerates have long claimed they keep down drug costs. But a report released last week calls that into question. The Ohio Department of Medicaid had been burned in the past by the big middlemen. And pharmacies across the state for years had said their Medicaid reimbursements were so scant that it was hard to stay in business. So the Medicaid department in 2022 gave the big pharmacy benefit managers — or PBMs — the boot and created a new system of paying for drugs.The result: Dispensing fees paid to pharmacies were boosted more than 1,200% on average — and the new setup still achieved savings of $140 million over a two-year period, according to a study done by Milliman, the Medicaid department’s actuarial firm. At the same time, the system managed to sign up nearly every pharmacy in the state, the report said. That makes medicine more accessible to Medicaid patients, who often lack access to reliable transportation.“Bottom Line: The (new system) delivers on its goals of accountability, transparency, and fairness – While doing so at a significantly lower administrative overhead cost to taxpayers,” the Medicaid department said in a cover letter to lawmakers that accompanies the study.